ISIS crackdown: 6 arrested in K'taka as NIA looks for 5 more from Hyd

Bengaluru, Jan 22: As part of a nation wide crack down, the National Investigating Agency has taken in for questioning 6 persons from Karnataka, 4 from Hyderabad and 2 each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The NIA is also looking for 5 more persons from Hyderabad.

Sources say that the investigations so far have learnt that these persons were trying to carry out an attack ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. The four persons picked up from Bengaluru are Mohammad Afzal and Syed Asif at Vandana Sarovar, Faizal from Hegde Nagar and Mujahid from Frazer Town.

The arrests come in the wake of a central intelligence bureau alert which stated that ISIS sympathisers may carry out an attack to protest the presence of French President Francois Hollande as the chief guest.

In Karnataka alone there have been six arrests. While four were from Sarjapur road and Frazer Town the other two were from Mangalore and Tumkur.

Two other arrests also took place in Jakkasandra, but this was relating to Al Qaeda that is being investigated by the Delhi police.

The NIA is likely to carry out more arrests in connection with a nation wide operation that was conducted today.

While 14 persons have been arrested so far in different parts of the country, the agency is said to be looking for 5 more persons in Hyderabad.

Sources say that from Karnataka 6 have been picked up while in Hyderabad there have been four arrests. Four arrests were made in Bengaluru

Two others have been picked up in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. It is still unclear whether these persons were interlinked or were functioning independently.

These persons have been on the radar of the intelligence agencies and are said to have been propagating on behalf of the ISIS. While two have been arrested in Karnataka, there are four more who have been detained in Hyderabad.

NIA officials are questioning several more alleged sympathisers of the ISIS across the country. The NIA team is being aided by the police of various other states.

The operation comes ahead of the Republic Day celebrations for which the Intelligence Bureau had issued several terror alerts.

Arrests have been carried out in Maharashtra. All these persons have been on the radar of the intelligence bureau for allegedly being sympathetic towards the ISIS.

The intelligence bureau had alerted the police of all states to be on high alert. It had stated in its warning that some persons may try and disrupt peace and harmony in an attempt to protest the visit by French President Francois Hollande.